1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to receptacles and, more specifically to a soap dish mountable to a structure.
The structure mountable soap disk comprises a back wall support portion that can be mounted to a structure by any means known with the art.
Downwardly cantilevered from the back wall is a bar soap receptacle plate having side walls and a front wall extending therebetween. Within the front wall is at least one aperture for the drainage of water therethrough. The soap dish can be installed within a tub enclosure or shower stall
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other receptacle designed for bar soap. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 1,248,522 issued to Mentel on Dec. 4, 1917.
Another patent was issued to Settle on Jun. 27, 1972 as U.S. Pat. No. Des. 224,028. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,277,042 was issued to Ash, Sr. on Jul. 7, 1981 and still yet another was issued on Feb. 19, 1991 to Southard as U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,546.
Another patent was issued to Martell on Jan. 26, 1993 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,606. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. Des. 385,137 was issued to von Seidel Oct. 21, 1997. Another was issued to von Seidel on Oct. 28, 1997 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,929 and still yet another was issued on Sep. 7, 1999 to Young-keun Park as U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,272.
Another patent was issued to Kumar on Sep. 16, 2008 as U.S. Pat. No. 7,424,949. Yet another U.K. Patent No. GB 8778 was published to Wells on May 11, 1916. Another was issued to Ferguson on Jun. 7, 1950 as U.K. Patent No. GB 638,408 and still yet another was published on Sep. 12, 1973 to Cesana as U.K. Patent No. GB 1 330 111.
A reversible soap dish having side walls on each side, long and short legs for supporting one of said sides uppermost, a back for one of said sides and a spring adapted to coact with said back to form means for clamping said dish on a bucket to hold the other side uppermost.
The ornamental design for a soap receptacle, substantially as shown and described in the design patent.
A receptacle in the shape of a steeply-inclined chute formed of a slick material and having a pair of rungs supported by ribs which extend generally upward from below the lower front edge of the chute to substantially its upper edge. The rungs are in contact with the lower surface of a bar of soap deposited in the receptacle, and the ribs support the bar out of contact with the inclined bottom wall of the chute. No surface of a rectangular bar of soap, when placed in the receptacle, is disposed in a generally horizontal position, thus facilitating the drainage of water away from the soap. Further, the contact between the receptacle and the least sloping surface of the bar of soap, that is, the contact between it and the rung, is minimized by having the plane of the upper surface of each rung generally forming an acute angle with the inclined bottom wall of the chute. In use, the lower front edge of the chute is disposed below the edge of the ledge of a sink basin to which the base of the receptacle is affixed by adhesive. The proximity of the chute to the sink basin allows a user to transfer a bar of soap to and from the receptacle without dripping water or suds on the ledge. The chute may be attached to the base by means of projections on the underside of the chute which are slidably mounted upon the walls of the base so that the chute can be removed for rinsing without disturbing the base.
A soap dish construction including a planar rear wall with an integral floor and generally S-shaped sides, each of the sides includes a forward portion directed interiorly of a rear portion wherein the forward portion projects beyond and below the floor. The floor includes a tapered upper surface to direct fluid directed up to the upper surface towards the forward portion of the side walls defining a trough including a trough floor. The trough floor angulates forwardly and downwardly relative to the inclined upper surface of the floor and is generally coextensively arranged therewith. The upper surface of the floor includes a plurality of spaced ribs defined by a predetermined spacing therebetween. A modified construction of the invention includes a tool receivable within a slot within the dish construction where a tool is defined by a first leg of a width substantially equal to the predetermined spacing between the upstanding ribs.
A soap dish is made of ribs that are shaped to allow a user to pick up a bar of soap in a single grasp without lifting the soap over a rim or lip. The soap dish is also shaped to hold the soap in a stable and stationary position when the user puts the soap in the dish and to permit adequate drainage of water and soap residue. The ribs form the support surface for the soap, so that the soap rests on the top edges of the ribs. Each of the ribs has a portion that slopes up to form with the other ribs a valley that keeps the soap in the dish. The soap dish has a weighted base to increase its stability and a trough to direct water and soap residue away from the soap dish. The dimensions and arrangement of the soap dish are particularly appropriate for maximum ease of manufacture by injection molding of an acrylic material in a minimum number of separate components.
The ornamental design for a soap dish, as shown and described in the design patent drawings.
A soap dish is provided in which the bottom of the dish is impervious and slopes downwardly at an angle of at least 3.degree. to a front drainage discharge zone, having a lip extending downwardly below the support plane of the dish so that, in use, it extends into a sink, basin or bath. Soap support formations, conveniently rearwardly extending ribs, extend upwardly from the bottom and define at the upper ends a soap support plane inclined rearwardly towards the rear wall and spaced upwardly from the bottom. The rear wall has forwardly projecting stops, conveniently formed as extensions of soap supporting ribs to prevent direct contact between a cake of soap and the rear wall.
A soap case having a receiving portion for receiving a bar of soap, the soap case characterized in that the receiving portion has a width wider than the thickness of the bar of soap and narrower than the width of the bar of soap such that the bar of soap can be received in a standing position as a pair of relatively wider surfaces of the bar of soap face both side surfaces of the receiving portion, and a depth sufficient for the bar of soap to stably stand upright, and comprises side surfaces each being curved of which the effective contact portions actually contacting the bar of soap being received becomes narrower towards the bottom of the case, a front surface for supporting the received bar of soap to stably stand upright, a rim surface of a curved shape forming the upper portion of the side surfaces and the front surface, and a bottom surface of a curved shape sloped at a predetermined angle.sub.—downwards with respect to the receiving direction of a bar of soap, and the both side surfaces, the front surface, the rim surface and the bottom surface are curved, so that the bar of soap preferably makes point-contact with both the side surfaces, the front surface, the rim surface and the bottom surface. Thus, the water left on the surfaces of the bar of soap rapidly flows down so that the bar of soap is dries quickly, and the bar of soap does not soften and dries quickly due to the smooth ventilation of air around the bar of soap.
The novel concept of a single embodiment, namely a self-draining soap dish unit fabricated with choice of materials, metals, sizes, shapes, styles, including the options for accessories, securable to fixed structure, in which the soap held in the container component of the unit is repositioned, by means of one or more integrated mechanisms, such as telescopic arm, pivoted leaver, hydraulic, hinge, pneumatic, motor, solenoids, springs and inclined plane, to a preferred location, such as sink, tub or shower floor, to enhance drying function of the soap, during use and thereafter, allowing water from the wet soap to drain into the preferred area and be eliminated, thus drying the soap effectively and efficiently, and is returned to its original position in the soap dish. The combined structural construction and functional elements of this single embodiment to enhance the drying feature of the soap makes this soap dish unit, unique and innovative.
A sheet metal soap-box or tray in which the soap lies upon an inclined surface which has downward channels formed therein, and the back of the soap rests against a surface which preferably, has also downward channels formed therein, moisture from the soap flowing down the channels and into a well below.
A soap holder comprises four glazed tiles 1 assembled to form a box and held in position by an enclosed bed of cement 2 which forms the base of the holder and on which a fifth tile is secured in a sloping position. If the edges of the tile are unglazed the exposed edges are painted with enamel paint. The Provisional Specification states that the assembling of the tiles is done in a mould.
A soap dish comprises a tray 1 formed with openings 11 in its base and a reservoir 2 removably attached to the underside of the tray. The reservoir is attached to the cylindrical flange 13 by a screw thread. The soap is supported above the tray on ribs 12.
While these soap dishes may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.